IRRIGATION

ENGINEERING

Course Instructor: Arif Asghar Gopang

 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lecture students will be able:

 To describe canal section and the components of the

canal section

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 CANAL SECTION
The following are the terms are related to the canal section.
i. Canal Bank
ii. Berm
iii. Free board
iv. Service road or inspection road
v. Borrow pit
vi. Spoil bank

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CROSS-SECTION OF IRRIGATION
CANAL

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 CANAL
BANK
It is necessary to retain water in the canal to full supply level.
The following are the different forms for different site
conditions.
(a) Canal section in full cutting
(b) Canal section in partial cutting and banking
(c) Canal in full filling or banking

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CANAL
BANK

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 Berm

The distance between the toe of bank and top edge of cutting is
called berm. It is used for the following reasons.

I. To protect the bank from erosion

II. To provide a space for widening the canal section in future
if necessary
III. To protect the bank from sliding down towards the section

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Berm

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 Free board

The margin or gap between the FSL and bank level is known as
free board.

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Free board

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 Service Road

o Service roads are provided on canal for inspection purposes.

o It may also serve as communication purposes in remote
areas.
o They are provided 0.4m to 1m above FSL.

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 Spoil Bank

o When the earthwork in excavation exceeds the earthwork in

filling even after providing the maximum bank embankment,
then the extra earth is disposed off economically.
o This extra earth is then collected and laid on the edge of
embankment.

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 Borrow Pits

o When the earthwork in filling exceeds the earthwork in

excavation, the earth has to be brought from somewhere.
o The pits, which are dug from bringing the earth are called
borrow pits.
o The borrow pits may be inside our outside the canal.

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 Balancing depth for excavating Canals
o For a given cross-section of a channel, there can only be one
depth for which a balance between cutting and filling will
occur. This is known as the Balancing depth.

o Maximum economy can be achieved if the earthwork in

excavation equals the earthwork in filling.

o It is practically possible when the canal is constructed in

partly in cutting and partly in filling.

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Balancing depth for excavating Canals

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 GEOMETRIC ELEMENTS OF CHANNELS

Flow Depth (y)

Vertical distance from channel bottom to the

free surface.

Top Width (T)

Width of channel section

at free surface.

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 GEOMETRIC ELEMENTS OF CHANNELS

Wetted Perimeter (y)

Length of the interface b/w the water and the

channel boundary

Flow Area, A

Cross-sectional area of
the flow.

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 GEOMETRIC ELEMENTS OF CHANNELS

Hydraulic Radius (R)

Ratio of flow area to wetted perimeter, R = A/P

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GEOMETRIC ELEMENTS OF OPEN
CHANNELS
 VELOCITY AND
DISCHARGE
 Velocity is max. at centre of the
section just below the WS
 Velocity, decreases vertically
downward, equals to zero at channel
bottom
 Velocity also decreases from centre
towards channel sides
 Mean velocity is measured at 0.6 of
depth from WS or at 0.2 and 0.8 of
depth and then averaged

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THANKS